Report on a Ted Talk
Please watch this Ted Talk
no title page, 12 point font, 1-inch margins, don’t use fancy words.
Report; Write a brief report (no more than 5 pages single spaced) that includes the following: 1.4.1 LOGOS: Describe the essence of the speaker’s argument. To do so you will have to describe the environmental issue she\ he seeks to address (provide four bibliographic sources on the topic), and then describe how she/he addresses the issue (provide no more than two bibliographic sources if appropriate). Keep in mind that the particular environmental issue the speaker is addressing is often implicit in the presentation. In other words, you are to contextualize the speaker’s argument: is it theoretically, technically, and\or logistically plausible? 1.4.2 ETHOS: Describe the speaker in the context of their background, and their accomplishments, so as to provide context for their presentation (provide no more than four bibliographic sources to support your assessment). Describe why, or why not, credibility is an important issue for this particular presentation? 1.4.3 PATHOS: Describe how the speaker engages the audience. This is a very broad and somewhat subjective task. Resources will be provided to guide you in your assessment, mostly though we are interested in your own thoughts as to why you thought the speaker was effective. 1.4.4 CONCLUSION: Describe how the speaker brought Aristotle’s three elements of rhetoric together. This is a comparative task in which you will weigh the various components of their presentation, providing insight as to which rhetorical element the speaker may have excelled at, and which she\ he may not have. For example, a presentation may lean more towards what is inspirational (pathos) than what is technically possible (logos), and yet still be engaging. Conclude with your own thoughts as to why you found the presentation compelling.
